Federalist 10 Essay, Research Paper
Federalist 10 played an important role in influencing the American people in considering the ratification of the constitution. Federalist 10 was written by James Madison in the late 1700s to address his views concerning the constitution. Madison focused on the issue of whether a small country is good or bad through the observation of fanctions. Fanction exist because people are human and have tendencies to act on their own interest. In Federalist 10 Madison covers issues of fanction. Today Madison s Federalist Paper #10 is considered one of the most important essays ever written for political reasons.
Madison wrote Federalist 10 to get the people of New York to support the constitution that would replace the Articles of Confederation. If agreed to support the constitution, then the constitution will support a strong central government and weak states rights. In addition, he wrote federalist 10 so the people could break and control factions, and form a federal state. Fanctions are citizens who are united and motivated by a common interest or passion, that are adverse to the rights of other citizens or interests of the community.
Madison writes in order to have a democratic government and society work, then we need to remove causes of fractions, like fanctions of passion and interest, or control effects of fractions. By removing the causes of fractions, using the Eliminate Clause , the government can deprive the people of their freedom and their liberty or basic rights destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence. However, if the government does this fractions will be eliminated but, also will democracy, which are government is formed by: ore than the disease. Secondly, the government can create a system were each individual share the same ideas, feelings, and interests and work for the common good unlike self-interest. However, this is impossible to achieve because it is unrealistic. The nature of man has shown that humans are human that make mistakes, are selfish, and are free to reason and think. Therefore, there will always be different ideas. Being able to reason will contribute to your actions and influence your ideas. Also, people have different abilities, which makes it impossible for people to share the same ideas. These differences will result in economic clashes because fortunes have been interesting to the human passion, have, in turn, divided mankind into parties. These clashes lead people to critisize one another. By opposing your views they think you attack them, making them angry. Even if it was possible for everyone to share a common interests and views people would still find ways to vex and oppress each other.
Thus, Madison believed the only way to break and control factions was to control its effects. Government must encourage factions. By doing so, no one faction can dominate. This will be the backbone of the formation of the government; It may clog the administration, it may convulse the society; but it will be unable to execute and mask its violence under the forms of the Constitution. A government that will serve the people good by regulating the various and interfering interests.
Therefore, the best form of government is a republic form of government: A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking. This form of government will preserve the rights of minorities against majority rule because majority does not mean better. Majority fanction is dangerous because the governing people can turn tyrant from its self- interest. Under a republic, power can be given to a small minority, even though there are more citizens and it is a large country. The bigger the country the more diverse. Diverse is better because fanction groups are forced to compromise. Compromise results in a more equal representation. This republic should be large so there will be a better proportionality of representatives to the people, and there is a better chance of getting good representatives because there is a larger amount of voters. In a larger republic or big country there is more diversity. Also because there are more factions and different ideas it will be difficult to have one interest or idea dominate. This will result in a greater number of political parties and factions thus, prohibiting one group to dominate in political power.
Madison argues that the best government is a government composed of controlled and encouraged factions. Eliminating factions will end democracy which is a significant disadvantage of the society. With no democracy there is no liberty and no freedom. Political life cannot live without liberty. Thus, a nation that is provided with various ideas and interests will create a government that is ruled and controlled by the people and for the people. The government will be in the best interest of the people. It is forced to compromise and work to please the people as equal as possible.